


Laundry

by PatterCake



Category: Infinity Train (Cartoon)
Genre: Clothes swap, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, pre book 3 so.... none of... THAT, smells and scents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:22:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25900540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PatterCake/pseuds/PatterCake
Summary: “Hey isn't that my hoodie?”Oh no.Grace whipped around and sure enough there was Simon. Standing at the mall launderette opening, pointing at her with a confused expression.
Relationships: Grace/Simon (Infinity Train), grimon, mall rats - Relationship
Comments: 7
Kudos: 85





	Laundry

The Mall was normally busy. The kids were always up to something stupid, whether it was graffitting over graffitti because they’d run out of room on the walls or doing stunts on their bike ramp, there were always children with half shaved heads and facial markings running around screaming. Normally Grace didn’t mind that but then again, normally she was busy too. 

It had been weeks since a new car had dropped down, they’d already scared away any nearby nulls and most of the jobs Grace took care of she’d already done. Boredom wasn’t an emotion she was used to dealing with and that made it even more torturous. 

Grace kicked an empty can lying on the floor and sent it flying into Simon’s foot, almost tripping him. 

“Hey watch it punk- oh!” Simon’s anger changed to horror as he realised what he’d just said to her, “Grace! I’m so sorry I didn’t… wait what the hell were  _ you _ kicking things at me for?!”

Grace smirked at his cross expression. “Sorry I didn’t see you there.” Simon seemed to be carrying some sort of.. Basket? Normally Grace would’ve just let Simon get on with whatever odd Simon thing he was doing but with boredom like this she’d do anything for entertainment.

“What's that?” she pointed at it. 

“It's just some laundry I’m taking to the Laundrette.” Simon’s face turned dark and he said seriously, “Don't ask what I had to do to get these dirty clothes. You tell a twelve year old you need to wash their smelly t-shirt with a million dinners spilt on it and suddenly you're the worst person ever.” 

“Ouch. Tell me about it.” Grace said and followed Simon through the mall while he told her the grisly details of what bribes and manipulations he’d had to do. The laundrette wasn’t far and Simon had barely scratched the surface of what The Apex kids had put him through when they were already inside. Simon set the basket down on one of the old machines and stretched.

“Though I guess I see where they’re coming from- I hate having to take this off,” Simon slipped his hoodie over his head and pulled his arms out. Normally Simon's sleeves stopped just below his elbow and his shoulders were covered in baggy fabric, so Grace couldn’t help but stare. Grace hadn't realised that carrying his heavy harpoon pack around as well as doing most of the heavy lifting around the base for years had toned his arms quite that much. But now that he was standing in front of her in a tight fitted black t-shirt that really hugged his back and pulled tight around his shoulders as he gestured at the clothes pile… Grace got a strange feeling in her stomach.

“It took longer than I thought to get all this-”

It took Grace a moment to remember that he was still talking about doing the kids laundry. 

“-and I wanted to spend today combing through some old cars for supplies… but I guess that won’t happen." He said sadly.

Grace glanced over the clothes pile. Doing washing was one of the most boring things Grace could think of, so she was thankful Simon had taken it upon himself to do that so she could spend more time exploring and doing what she wanted. But if Simon had other plans, and if it would make him happy... “You can still go.” 

“Yeah but-”

“It's okay I'll put it in the wash for you.” Grace said pleasantly, “You go do your thing.” 

His eyes widened. “What really?” 

“Yeah sure. Normally I'm the one going out and you stay at home and do the boring stuff but it's kinda fun to switch roles for a bit.”

“I mean I guess.” Simon said, confused that Grace was turning down a chance to explore, “Are you sure though? I don't think-”

“I know you don't think.”Grace jabbed at him. 

Simon gasped and pretended to be wounded. “You're so mean. I don't think I've ever seen you do the washing before. Like… ever. Too much of a peasant's task for her highness.” 

“Wow. Rude. I'll have you know I wash my own clothes just fine.” As if to prove her point Grace started sorting the clothes into darks and lights. 

Grace seemed to be serious about doing chores for once and Simon’s face it up. “Great! I'll go let Alex and the others know we're heading out then. See ya!” 

“Wait Simon!” Grace called just before he left. 

“Hm?” 

Grace avoided his eyes and shifted uncomfortably, “I mean I know we already, like, scared off all the dangerous nulls and now it's just stuff they left behind but the train can be deceptive and the train can be dangerous. So… just promise you'll be careful, okay?” 

Simon just stared at her for a moment as he processed what he just heard and then he smiled softly. “Wow we really have switched roles.” 

“Whaddaya mean?” 

“I dunno. Normally I'm the one who's a bit of a wet blanket about this. I always try to stop you going off alone, stuff like that.” Simon awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, “It's... kinda nice to have you worrying about  _ me _ for a change.” 

“Simon I always worry about you.” 

“Yeah yeah I know you worry about my sanity.” Simon said flippantly, “Anyway- I'll catch you later. Simon promises to be on his best behaviour and be super careful if it'll make her highness happy.” Simon grinned and bowed sarcastically at her while loudly proclaiming “Au revoir ma reine!”. 

Then he left and Grace was alone again.

Grace distractedly picked up his hoodie and said to no one: “That's not what I meant when I said I worry about you...” 

She absentmindedly ran her thumb over the fabric. Simon’s hoodie was a lot softer than she’d thought it would be, and when she slipped a hand into the neck hole to feel the inside she could still feel Simon’s warmth coming off it. 

Grace could count on one hand the amount of time she'd seen him without it on. Why did he even wear it all the time anyway? It was true that Simon’s fashion sense was abysmal but he changed the t-shirt he wore underneath often enough and was one of the few Apex members who regularly showered. So… why? Was there something special about it? 

Grace glanced around herself self consciously. None of The Apex ever came nosing around the laundrette just in case Simon would rope them into doing work, and Simon had gone so the coast was clear. Grace slipped his hoodie over her head.

The warmth of the fabric was much more intense now that it enveloped her. And the feeling of Simon’s body heat against her own meant the second she put it on she felt like he was hugging her. 

Grace slowly curled her fingers around the neckline and pulled it up over her nose. She breathed in. It smelled like Simon’s signature cologne that he shoplifted (though was it really shoplifting if you lived in the mall?) that she’d initially made fun of him for wearing but was now so used to that she found the smell comforting. Because it was Simon’s smell. His smell shot through with the sweet scent of wood glue. There were soft hints of sawdust from his toy making too as well as another smell that Grace couldn’t place but which somehow brought back almost forgotten memories of a house kitchen and living room miles away. She’d used to sit on the sofa and watch TV when her parents allowed it, or do her homework while her mother cooked. 

These memories morphed into her cooking while Simon sat at the table, or the two of them falling asleep together on her parents sofa with the TV turned down. For the first time Grace wondered what their lives would’ve been like off the train. Would she have been a famous dancer like her parents wanted? Would Simon have been a toymaker? A novelist? Would they have been friends? Would she still feel so weird about him if he wasn’t the only boy her age she’d seen in ten years? 

Would they have been happy together if she did?

“Hey isn't that my hoodie?” 

_ Oh no.  _

Grace whipped around and sure enough there was Simon. Standing at the mall launderette opening, pointing at her with a confused expression. 

“I can explain!” she said guiltily, “I just… you're always wearing it so I… wanted to see what was so amazing about it that you never want to take it off.” 

“And?”

“And what?” Grace said defensively. Simon was probably going to hit her with all sorts of bullying and teasing for this. 

“How is it?” 

She looked at him in surprise. “It's… it's nice. It's kinda comfy. I guess I can sorta see why you wear it all the time.” 

“Yeah it's a nice hoodie- I only wear the best.” Simon said smugly and Grace rolled her eyes. 

“Though it's white and that means it stains really easily,” Grace pointed at a particularly noticeable stain on the top left, “Oooor maybe you're just a slob.”

“So rude! As if you can judge me- you always tease me for not wearing it like a proper cropped hoodie but look at you-” Simon pointed at the sliver of orange t-shirt poking out from underneath, “doing the same thing.” 

“Fine I'll tuck my t-shirt up into it.” Grace rolled back the orange fabric and stuffed it up into the hoodie, exposing her abdomen, “Happy now?” 

“Definitely!” Simon’s eyes sparkled, “You look really nice!”

Being able to see Simon's smile as he looked at her exposed stomach and hear him say that she looked nice made the weird feeling come back even stronger.

“You should wear cropped clothes more often.” Simon carried on, oblivious, “We can probably get you some from the old clothes stores.” 

“I-I don't really like just taking stuff from the mall because I feel like it. It's for all the Apex to share and I wouldn't feel right taking stuff that one of the kids might want more.” Grace explained.

Simon nodded. “Yeah I get that.” 

“But it does feel kinda nice. And I probably do look great so…” Grace paused and then mumbled, “maybe if it's not too much trouble I could borrow it a bit sometimes?” 

“Borrow it?” 

“It's fine if that's not okay.” Grace said quickly, burning with embarrassment over what she’d just asked. 

“I dunno… I know The Apex shares everything but-”

“I wasn't thinking about The Apex- I was just thinking about us two.” 

“Well… it's just that I've had that since before the train so it's kinda important to me. It’s not like I’m ever going back there, or like things were... fun for me off the train.” Simon looked away and his face darkened as memories he tried to keep at bay came flooding back. But you never can forget your past, “But it’s the only thing I have that still smells like home. And I guess where I came from is still important to me, even if I did hate it. ” 

“Oh. Oh right of course. I'm sorry I didn't- I can take it off-”

“No it's okay Grace. I trust you and I know you wouldn't, like, spill ketchup all over my things so you can borrow it as much as you want.” 

“What really?”

“Yeah sure.” Simon flushed, “I’m… I’m actually kinda happy.” 

“But I mean… won’t the smell change?”

“Yeah but now that I think about it. My parents home is my home off the train but you and The Apex and The Mall are my home now. So it’s okay.”

There was a slightly awkward silence between them. Grace silently went back to sorting through the clothes and Simon admired the sight of her in his clothes. 

“What’d you come back for anyway, errand boy?” Grace quipped suddenly.

Simon sat down on one of the old washing machines and smirked at her. “I’ll believe that you know how to work a washing machine when I see it.” 

“Oh so I have an audience?”

Simon crossed his legs and got comfortable, “Looks like it.”

Grace loaded the washing machines with exaggerated gestures and threw a bit of washing powder in Simon’s direction. He laughed at her and she couldn’t stop herself from smiling at him. Grace reached for the on button when Simon grabbed her wrist.

“Grace.”

“Yeah.” She whispered while feeling a blush spread over her cheeks, eternally grateful that it wouldn’t show up on her dark skin. 

“Aren’t you gonna put my hoodie in? You’re still wearing it.” 

“Oh. Right.” Grace took it off while unbearably aware of Simon looking at her and carefully placed it in the washing before turning it on. 

Simon placed his hand on her bare shoulder and a shiver ran through her at his touch. She glanced at him and he smiled at her. “I’ll get going now. Wish me bon voyage.”

“Bon voyage…” she murmured.

Simon let go and Grace watched him leave. The funny feeling grew bigger and bigger in her stomach, making her feel like her insides were churning round and round not unlike the spinning washing machines behind her as she fell head over heels. 

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
